David Picherit

Dr. David Picherit is a CNRS Research Officer specializing in political anthropology and development studies with a regional focus on South India. His career spans ethnographic research at institutions like University College London, SOAS, and EHESS, where he has explored intersections of labor relations, mafia economies, and postcolonial democracy. Currently, he teaches Economic Anthropology at Paris Nanterre University and leads the DEBTCHAINS (2025-2029) and MEET projects.

• Key research themes: political-economic violence, Dalit politics, informal labor, migration brokerage, predatory capitalism
• Academic affiliations: Université Paris Nanterre, EHESS, French Institute of Pondicherry

His ethnographic work in Andhra Pradesh examines how neoliberal policies reshape labor subjugation through clientelist networks and criminal political economies. Current projects analyze debt chains and environmental predation across South Indian forests. He contributes to editorial boards of L'Homme, SAMAJ, and Monde Commun.

Dr. Picherit's publications explore bandit mythology (2018, 2021), electoral manipulation (2019), and environmental smuggling networks (2024). His research methodology combines long-term fieldwork with interdisciplinary collaboration involving ecologists, legal scholars, and sound artists. He actively participates in ASH-SEA and Lectures academic workshops.